Interlibrary Loan Overview

What is Interlibrary Loan?

You may use ILL to borrow books, journal articles or other materials from thousands of other libraries.

What does it cost?

Usually nothing. However, if there is a charge to borrow the material, you will be asked to pay the difference for any charges exceeding $25

This happens infrequently. When it does,

We will ask your permission before filling the request

The cost must be prepaid before the library borrows the item

If you order a book or other media, and then fail to check it out before its due date, there will be a $10 fine. This does not apply to documents delivered over the Internet (such as journal articles). For more details on this see the full ILL policy.

What can I request?

Almost anything, with a few restrictions:

The library does not provide textbooks through ILL.

If UND already owns a copy, you can’t get it through ILL unless our copy is lost. Distance Students are an exception; they can request material that UND already owns. See also: Distance Users ILL Policy.

How will I get the materials?

Journal articles and chapters from books may be delivered electronically. Books, movies, and other physical items will be delivered to the library, where you can pick them up. Note: distance students will receive their items by mail.

How long does it take?

It varies. We recommend allowing 10 days, though it is not unusual to receive items more quickly. Journal articles tend to arrive faster than books if they can be delivered electronically.